


A Break in the Storm

by 1000PaperCranes



Series: Breaking Down [3]
Category: Transformers - Aligned, Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e08 Thirst, Gen, I don't know about all y'all but I use '&' for platonic relationships, Implied Relationships, Slice of Life, The Softer Side of Bat-Crap Crazy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 18:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14062953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1000PaperCranes/pseuds/1000PaperCranes
Summary: Megatron and Knock Out come to an understanding after the events of Thirst.





	A Break in the Storm

After dispensing with Starscream’s most recent punishment, Megatron sought Knock Out.  The medic turned away from his preparations, no doubt made in anticipation of Starscream’s injuries.  Let the traitorous scoundrel wait.

“My Lord?”  The medic was nervous, but not afraid of Megatron.  He knew the gladiator too well for that.  Though, the Dark Energon _had_ changed him, again for the worse.  “Megatron?”  The warlord continued to study the smaller bot without the slightest acknowledgement.

The sportscar wasn’t as shiny as he had once preferred.  As he probably still did.  The loss of Breakdown bit deeply, although it was hidden perfectly from uninformed optics.  There was a subtle droop to Knock Out coinciding with the slight dulling of his topcoat.  Soundwave had surely noticed, but Starscream was obviously oblivious, thinking only of himself first, last, and every place in between; even if it was sometimes difficult to see how the expected outcome of any particular scheme was intended to benefit the seeker.

“Meton?”  A mispronunciation left over from Knock Out’s childhood, spoken only to gently gain Megatron’s attention when they were carefully alone.

The warlord blinked back to himself.  “Come.”  The tone was not harsh, and he beckoned the medic along to his quarters.

The berth was larger than most, but sparse.  Megatron was a mix of conflicting ideals, those left over from the unrest, and more recent, less heroic leanings.  The belief that one did not need more than one actually needed was ingrained long before the war, leading the Decepticon lord to make decisions that unintentionally ingratiated him to his troops, such as the selection of utilitarian quarters.  It by no means outweighed the former gladiator’s madness, but it softened the ill effects to a degree.

Sitting upon a simple bench, Megatron pulled Knock Out to stand between his knees.  “What were you thinking?”

In this position, Knock Out was forced to stare into his leader’s face even when he looked down in shame.  He searched those faceplates for clues before answering.  “It was a bad idea,” he admitted, hiding behind closed optics.

“Starscream’s?”

Knock Out met Megatron’s curious gaze.  “Yes.”

“I am surprised you would allow such a thing to be done to Breakdown’s body.”

Knock Out laid his hand upon his own chest-plates, over his spark.  He took a deep breath.  “That,” he said quietly, “was not Breakdown.”  He looked down at his hand, his spark.  Quietly he confessed, “Still, I did try to talk him out of it.”

“Starscream ordered you?”

Knock Out’s focus jumped back to Megatron’s face.  “Of course.”

“Ah,” Megatron said, not particularly enlightened, but fully understanding the situation.  He reached out, touching Knock Out’s hand where it still laid upon his own chest.  “Are you alright?”

“Breakdown is with me,” Knock out sidestepped the question.

“Bonded sparks _do_ rejoin their conjunx upon deactivation,” the warlord conceded, “but I’ll take that as a ‘no’.”  He smoothed his hand along Knock Out’s glossy red finish, feeling the dual spark-pulse within.  “Soundwave is also having difficulty adjusting.”  Then, in a silent confession he wasn’t aware he was making, Megatron folded the medic into his arms.

Knock Out tucked his face into Megatron’s neck, hiding his grief like a sparkling.  Overwhelmed with gratitude for this emergence of the old gladiator, of Megatronus, no matter how temporary, Knock Out began to shake, falling into his own head.  He had only one memory predating Breakdown: of the day a group of high caste had taken Knock Out from his caretaker, of whom he had no recollection beyond the warm arm that had held him in the moment.  When it became evident that he would not be allowed to return to his chosen caretaker, Knock Out had shocked the high caster’s arm with his hands, a function that would continue to serve him well until necessity had burned out the circuits.  The bot had dropped him violently, and with the help of his friends, kicked and chased little Knock Out into the ghettos of Kaon.  An unremembered time later, a young Breakdown had found Knock Out, dirty and wandering.  The older sparkling had then escorted him to the arena.  Knock Out had befriended the gladiators and medics, subsequently joining his future conjunx assisting in repairs.  _Now_ , he was alone again.

It didn’t matter that Knock Out carried Breakdown’s spark with his own, like his personal binary star.  He would never see Breakdown’s face again, hear his voice, feel his touch.  Forget interfacing, he could do without that, Knock Out just wanted togetherness.  He’d forgotten what it was like to be alone.  It was horrible.  A cold place with no relief in sight.

Laserbeak entered the room through a hatch near the door designed specifically for her.  She alighted on the bench next to the unhappy bots, chittering curiously.  Looking dolefully around Knock Out’s chasse, Megatron reached out, delicately greeting the mini-con with the tips of his digits.  Laserbeak trilled quietly at him.

A frame weary sigh.  “I don’t think anything will help.”  She twittered speculatively, finding a place to alight her slight weight where the warmth would be most comforting to Knock Out.  _‘Break Out_ ,’ the gladiator mused on her suggestion.  “I suppose, but I think we’d best keep that to ourselves for now.” 

Still leaning upon Megatron’s chest, Knock Out turned, accepting the mini-con into his arms.  The medic looked forlornly down at her but didn’t say a word.  Megatron drifted his digits soothingly along the sportscar’s back.  Eventually, Knock Out found a morose smile as he gazed, lost in memory, at the mini-con, of whom his conjunx had been particularly fond.  “Hiya, birdbrain.”

Megatron chuckled as Laserbeak puffed up, twitching and chittering, pretending a humorous indignation.  As Knock Out quietly continued to taunt the mini-con and she responded with false affront, the warlord transmitted a deeply felt, if silent, ::Thank you.::

**Author's Note:**

> This is obviously heavily influenced by my own head-canon, but I like to think that it doesn't actually interfere with the actual Prime canon. In particular, I was noticing that while obviously sheepish about the whole thing, Knock Out doesn't actually ever seem afraid that Megatron will hurt him, despite the fact that he has been shown to violently punish others. At the same time, Megatron also doesn't appear to consider any sort of retribution or discipline against Knock Out; he just reminds him that he doesn't take orders from Starscream and makes him turn over any possible means of stupidity, which is fair.
> 
> Also, I only ever subscribe to the canon for any given iteration that is actually presented in the series, but according to IDW, Breakdown IS Knock Out's Conjunx Endura. Hail to the fandom, we have ascended!
> 
> As always, unbeta'd. So, all mistakes are mine. Let me know what you all think, I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
